Sailing Soon!

To all of you (ok, both of you) who are waiting for this website to be fully functional, patience please! Progress has been made. Negotiations for the book cover are in progress. Legal hoo-haw is prepped. Glossary is now more than just a daiquiri-fueled fantasy. And I’m posting this blog entry, aren’t I? So cool your jets! If you want to be added to my email list to receive updates about Sailing an Alien Sea, click on the Contact link above. Now, back to the real work!

Did You Look Closely At The Book Cover?

If you haven’t had a chance to look closely at the cover art Sailing an Alien Sea, please take a minute to do so.

The cover photograph is the product of a fantastic freelance artist in Warsaw, Poland who goes by the name of KEIT.  If you enjoy the surreal, check out her art at RedBubble. You may also want to visit her at www.facebook.com/keitopolis.

The cover shown on this website is a reasonable facsimile of what is to come.  Not sure what’s going on in the cover photo and want to take a closer look?  Go directly to her original photo here:  www.redbubble.com/people/keit/works/4681812-still-sailing-meadowness.

Note that Keit’s photo is copyrighted and cannot be reproduced or used in any way without her permission. It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: copyright infringement is like shoplifting from your favorite neighborhood store; if you want them to stay in business, don’t steal from them.

Now On Amazon.Com!

Much as I would like to launch my book by throwing a huge party, replete with catering, an open bar, and Justin Timberlake rockin’ it poolside, I just can’t. Yet. Get out there and buy a book or two and then we’ll talk.

Meantime, let me say to those who have already purchased a copy, thank you. You took a chance, buying a debut novel by an indie author who has no MFA, no reviews, and virtually no social media presence. I sincerely hope it paid off for you.

Oh wait! I just got a review! Thank you, Kathleen!

Kindle Version Now Available!

At last! What everyone has been waiting for! Well, I know at least two guys who are waiting. The Kindle version of Sailing an Alien Sea is now available. If you already have a Kindle, you know what to do: just buy the dang thing already. No Kindle? No excuse. Download the Kindle app so you can read Sailing on your i-Thing, smart phone, and various Windows things. Not sure about LINUX, but if you want me to research it, just ask.  For information on getting the Kindle app, click here.

Rocky Mountain Authors At The Tattered Cover

If you live in the Denver, Colorado metro area you probably already know about the Tattered Cover Book Store, that bastion of independent book sellers. What you may not know is that they have three locations now: downtown Denver, East Colfax and Highlands Ranch. I have very fond memories of visiting their (now closed) store in Cherry Creek. Floor upon floor of books, comfy chairs and tables, it was intoxicating and overwhelming.

Life moves on, and so do bookstores, but their three other locations no doubt have as much to offer as the old Cherry Creek store. Including (crass commericalism alert!) Sailing an Alien Sea. If you like to buy indie, buy local or just buy stuff in front of you, check out the Tattered Cover’s Rocky Mountain Authors’ section.

Too Early To Be Thinking About Next Halloween?

The Daily Show’s October 22 episode had a satirical bit with Kristen Schaal about sexy Halloween costumes for women. Kristen commented on how much progress has been made over the years, how in the past women were limited to dressing up as sexy secretaries or sexy meter maids.  Nowadays,  she said, women have a whole range of sexed up costumes available to them: sexy attorneys, sexy pirates and even sexy food.  Kristen always has a way of making me laugh and feel sad at the same time.

A possible antidote for dressing up as Super Sluts might be found on Jamie C. Moore’s website. Her photos of her daughter dressed as some of the most fascinating and heroic women of our time are lovely and thought provoking. She lists a few quotes by these iconic women as well, including one I particularly like, which is attributed to Helen Keller. “What I am looking for is not out there, it is in me.”

Please take a look at Jaime’s May 9, 2013 posting on her website,  http://www.jaimemoorephotography.com/2013/05/09/not-just-a-girl/

It might be too much to hope for, but next year it would be great to see zero Miley Cyrus costumes and – dare I hope? – a Sally Ride or two.

Roughing It In Santa Fe

Brad Feld recently posted some comments made by Andy Alsop about the challenges of starting a company in Santa Fe, N.M.  Andy’s comments are a painful reminder that some things in Santa Fe have sadly not changed since Sylvie lived there decades ago.
We may mock Santa Fe locals coveting government jobs, attributing their longing to laziness, but if you’d ever job hunted there, you too would likely conclude that “working for the state” is your best shot to ensure anything even remotely resembling financial security.
We’ve got it pretty danged good in Boulder. Even if the sopapaillas do suck.